For the Sake of the Innocent
by In Amber Clad
Summary: There was a time Jack Frost would have given anything to be believed in, to be seen. Now, he only hopes his cover won't be blown. Three innocent children caught in a warzone... can he protect them? - Based on dream I had last night. Dream logic decided Bane gets an unexpected cameo...
1. Can't Shake the Feeling

Jack Frost is a character I love and cosplay. Even though I only saw the movie once, his character stuck with me enough to have a dream entirely centered around him. I'm not talking about a fan girl's kind of dream, I'm talking about when you're asleep in your bed and your brain makes up fantastic stories in to entertain your subconscious mind. In fact, this dream was probably the reason why I slept past my alarm; it was just too great of a story to stop and wake up.

-In Amber Clad

* * *

It starts in a suburb. After the events in the movie, Jack Frost can now be seen by people, children mostly, if he chooses. He has gained the ability to choose whether he wants people to see him or not, although it does take some concentration on his part. The suburb is one small street, with houses on either side that have balconies and small comfortable rooms. Winter hadn't come yet and it was barely even fall. Jack Frost had decided to come early this year, but not to bring the changing of the seasons. See, a family had finally returned to the house in the middle of the street, facing south as the sun set to the east. The golden rays of the sun reflected on the windows, welcoming them home from a long trip. The house was empty, boxes unpacked from moving and the rooms lightly decorated before they had left.

In the dream, I was Jack Frost. I was able to feel what he felt, his curiosity, his desire to protect children, his anger or worry. I was able to see out of his eyes and feel the wonder of flying around on the wind's back. He came to this small street, with old oak trees and small cars, to keep watch over three children. He was worried about them. Although their parents were good and watchful, Jack just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen to them, so he stayed there. There were times he considered revealing his presence, but thought better of it. The two older children were at the age where they were beginning not to believe in the supernatural.

The oldest of the girls, perhaps around thirteen years old, ran up to her room to find the window open and the cool air blowing in. The window had been left open all summer. Cob webs were strewn about, and small plump spiders crawled to and fro. The girl screamed and Jack heard her from outside. He rushed in, relieved she was only frightened of a few bugs. While she ran to her parents for help, he took the time to remove a few spiders and webs from her room. He scolded them, "Come'on guys. You know little girls are afraid of you," and told them to go back to the tree where they must have come from. The spiders obeyed, since they didn't wish to be frosted, or squashed by the household members.

The girl returned with a newspaper in hand, rolled up and ready to rid the pests. She crept in to find all the spiders were gone. She caught a glimpse of someone at the window, a boy with silver hair and a blue hoodie. The image of it was so quick, a mere flicker, she wondered if she saw anyone at all. The evidence was there, though. Someone had cleared all the spiders in her room. As she went to bed that night, she felt both safer, but also like there was someone there.

The next morning, the children played out in the street. They ran about tossing and catching a baseball. The further they ran, they further they had to throw it. Unbeknownst to them, Jack also played with them. He floated in the air above them and ushered the wind to push the ball toward the catcher whenever it was off-course. He laughed at their bewilderment. No matter how far off they threw the ball it would always seem to change in the right direction.

The oldest girl stopped playing, having observed the strange behavior of the wind. For some reason, it reminded her of the incident with spiders in her room the night they moved back in.

"Come'on, throw the ball!" Her brother called. He was only a year or so younger. He impatiently pounded his little fist into his mitt.

"There was a boy on my window cill," she said. Jack froze above them, and drifted downward to better hear them. He hadn't realized that she had seen him. It was strange, for three hundred years, he had wanted nothing more than to be believed in, to be seen. Now he felt like his cover had been blown.

"Did he ask you to let down your hair, Repunzel, Repunzel?" the brother teased, much to the girl's annoyance. For the sake of storytelling, I will name the older sister "Zell" from now on, which is fitting because she looked like a child version of Disney's Repunzel, with yellow hair going down to her bellybutton.

"No!" Zell pouted, "But I think he was the one who made the spiders disappear."

"I didn't see any spiders," the brother scoffed.

The little sister, maybe five years old, squeaked, "Spiders?" She latched onto her brother in fear. She of course was scared of spiders. The brother did his best to peel her off.

Zell stomped her foot, "There were too spiders in my room! There was hundreds of them! Huge and hairy ones!" Jack laughed at that, since her version of the story was greatly exaggerated. He had counted only a dozen spiders, and they were small, brown and plump and no bigger than a penny. Perfectly harmless.

"Imaginary spiders, imaginary friends!" the brother sung, making fun of her.

Jack saw Zell get puffed up and face turn red with anger. He of course was insulted too, being called imaginary when he was standing right there. And just like that, he made himself visible. He bopped the boy on the head with his staff, saying, "Who's calling who imaginary? I'm real and those spiders were real. You're welcome by the way," He said to Zell, before leaping into the air and flying away. He laughed at their stunned faces. His cover was officially blown, but he didn't mind.

Jack disappeared again, but he hadn't gone far. He wanted them to think he had left. The joke from before faded as the dark feeling returned to him. He had to stay with them. He didn't know why… but he had to stay.


	2. The Bay of Light and Fire

This is the second part of the dream I had. There is still one or two more parts to go before the dream ended. There was a lot of vivid imagery, I have to say. And I won't deny that some of what happened was embellished a bit (like dialogue), but 90% of this is straight of the dream I had.

I got a review! Yay! I'm glad you like it. Hopefully you'll stick around to hear the ending!

-In Amber Clad

* * *

The summer waned away, and finally gave into the colder seasons. Of course, that was partially Jack Frost's doing. It was not yet time for snow, but there was frost on the windows, on the grass on the front lawns, on the cars parked out front. Jack had made his way around the world in one fast trip. After three hundred years of experience, he knew his way around and how to get it down quickly. He could have let the natural weather patterns take their course, but he was getting tired of sitting around. After months of watching those children, nothing had happened yet.

Then why was this ache in the back of his mind? This feeling of dread that just won't go away? He made his way back to the house on the oak decorated street. The leaves had turned and filled the lawns with red and orange. It was evening again. The setting sun seemed to make the colors brighter. The second thing he noticed was that the car was missing in the driveway. Normally the parents were back from work at this hour.

Jack drifted down on the wind and set himself on Zell's window cill, which had become his favorite perch to watch over them when they played out in the street, on the odd chance he didn't want to play along. Staff in hand, he pushed the window open. The lock was broken, as it had been when he first arrived. The room was dark, with only the sunlight streaming in. He hopped down and looked about. The bed had been made. Where was the girl? Did she stay at school? Of course not, what kid in their right mind would want to stay at school? That feeling on the back of his neck tingled. To be safe, he readied his staff and stepped quietly through the hallway. He checked the other rooms to find no one was there.

The house was empty again. Jack was a little put out. The family had long since unpacked their moving boxes. Everything had its place, even the calendar on the… wall. Jack walked up to it and looked at the date. It was the second weekend of October. There were seven days circled red on the calendar, from Friday to Friday. It was labeled, "Fall Break Vacation." Jack let out a sigh of relief and smacked his forehead.

"Of course, Jack, how could you forget?" he said to himself. "Where did they go again?" He looked around again and found papers of a bay-side resort. He knew that bay. He'd flown over it many times, so he recognized the aerial shot immediately. With that, he was upstairs and out the window (closing it behind him to not let the spiders in). The wind swept him away and off into the night he went.

The dream switched then. It was not from Jack's perspective for a small while. I could see things like an invisible camera that hovered over the children. They were walking back to the resort along the boardwalk. It was night, and the city lights were bright as day, even from the other side of the water. This city reminded me of San Diego, because of the bay, but the trees and fences and street lights looked more like a London park. Across the water, there was a huge ferry. It was nearly as large as a cruise ship, but not nearly as tall. It stretched out across the water, slowly being pushed by unseen motors. The most distinctive feature of this ferry was the spinal like structure on either side. It was just like those steel arch bridges that allow trains to pass over ravines and rivers, but it was painted white and decorated with lights. I knew there were many people on that ferry. I could tell that it was used not only for transportation, but also as a pleasure cruise. You could almost hear the music across the water. That is, until the explosions roared out.

The city erupted in blazes. Enormous fireballs hit skyscraper and building, trees and boats. That wonderful ferry that had been the center of my attention for some time was no exception. It too was hit, and from where the children were, you could only see the fire and hear the roar. There had been people killed then, I'm sure. I'm sure they screamed and maybe jumped into the water if they could, but from where I was, I could only see the fires and the smoke and the ferry breaking apart and sinking into the bay.

I was so focused on what was happening, I had forgotten about the children. I was Jack again. Two of the children were beneath me, shielded by a wall of ice. Jack breathed heavily, frightened for them and exhausted from travelling so fast. It was a while before he had the will to stand and observe the damage. The two he had saved were the youngest, and they cried from confusion and terror. The other… where was Zell?

"Stay here," Jack told them. He didn't have to tell them to, they were too scared to move. There was a large crater not too far away. This was the blast he had protected them from, and just in time too.

I want to take a moment to say that this isn't the first time I dreamed about an attack on this particular bay. War broke out in another dream of mine, and as far as I can tell, it happened on the other side where all the sky scrapers were. I never found out who was attacking, but in both of these dreams the army was very quick to respond. I'm guessing because this bay was based off of San Diego (according to dream logic) that there was already a Naval presence in the city, and that could also be why it was a target to begin with. The Navy was the target and the citizens were the victims.

Victims indeed, as Jack drew closer to the crater, there were two dark lumps smoldering near its edge. It didn't register to him at first, but the horror of it struck him hard. He had lived for over three hundred years, and had seen his fair share of the results of war. Heck, he probably was in London during the Blitz, to bring what happiness he could to the children that slowly filtered out to the countryside. This family however, he knew this family. The two corpses there he knew. Where was Zell?

"Zell?" He called out desperately. "ZEEEELLL?" He called and called her name, but he couldn't find her. He looked around the entire crater, to the edge of the trees and grass that hadn't caught fire, but she wasn't there. Before he flew upward for a better view, he heard a coughing sound. It was from a child. He followed the sound to the water's edge. He tossed himself over the edge and landed on the sand and stones to where Zell was crawling soaking wet out of the water. She sputtered and tried to breath. "Hang on, I'll get you up." He took hold of her and flew back up to the boardwalk. As soon as he set her down, Zell's brother and sister ran to them and hugged her.

The scene began to fade scene, and I only caught glimpses and feelings of what happened next. They stayed by the crater only long enough for Zell to dry off her clothes. The children knew their parents were gone, and Jack had not the heart to apologize for not saving them too. They did not blame Jack. Somehow they were grateful, sad, frightened, but still grateful to him. Because he was the only "adult" they knew, or at least recognized, they trusted him. He told them he would protect them, so he would stay. He would stay with them.


	3. Opposing Purpose

Chapter threeeeeee... author's note at the bottom this time. We have only one chapter to go until the end. :D

-In Amber Clad

* * *

The heart of the city had been broken. Being in the center of it when the first volley of bombs went off gave them a dangerous road to travel. Bricks from buildings spilled out like entrails, spewing wooden and metal innards over the sidewalks. Car alarms continued to sound, some going off for no reason at all, which would startle the little ones and Jack would shush them quickly. Jack Frost lead his little flock through the safest passages he could find, and when he could find none for them to walk on he'd carry them one by one over the blockages. He would allow no harm to come to them, nor lead them into it. He was their guardian, their shepherd. They trusted him, relied on him.

More than that though, safety wasn't his only priority. He wanted to make them smile again. The city was too big to travel by foot in a single day, and there were too many of them for him to carry by wind else he'd have flown them home. Even if he had chosen to fly them one by one, those left behind would be alone. So he stayed with them. On the nights when they found empty shops or apartments to rest in he would tell them funny stories or frost up the windows for them to draw on. When they cuddled up to fall asleep, he would take to the window or door. He kept his distance at night so they wouldn't feel the cold that lingered around him. He couldn't help it. He apologized when they asked him why he wouldn't sleep near them, explaining that he did so because he needed to keep watch anyway.

He leaned against the doorframe that night. The three children were long asleep. There were no Dreams from Sandman. There were no Nightmares either. For them, it was an empty, dreamless sleep. Perhaps it was this way with everyone else that was still stuck in the city like they were. Jack could imagine that anyone here would rest with half-lidded eyes, ready to awaken at the slightest hint of danger. He gripped his staff closer to him. How much further did they have to go? He was so used to flying everywhere. He knew the way he was leading them was straight because he lead them to sunrise, to the east. As long as their path was true they should be almost there by now. He fought the temptation to leap into the air for a quick look at his surroundings, but a glance behind him at the sleeping lumps with golden and brown hair banished the thought altogether. He couldn't take the chance. Who knows what could come around the …

The sound of footsteps reached his ears. They were soft and careful footsteps, but there were too many of them to be "quiet." Jack didn't bother backing away from the doorway. As far as they were concerned, he was invisible to them. There were advantages to being a spirit, and this one made him perfect for being a watchman. Shadows came around the parked cars. When they entered into the moonlight, who they were was unmistakable: Marines. There were four in the front, weapons ready, and behind them followed a large group of civilians. Every now and then there were more Marines, evenly spaced between them. It was a refugee escort.

Jack lit up when he saw other children there, about four of them, being lead by a woman. Jack returned inside and woke Zell up. "Zell. Zell, wake up."

The little girl woke up groggily, "What's wrong, Jack?"

"Nothing is wrong. Everything is ok," he assured, "There are people outside that are going to help us get out of the city. I need you to wake up your brother and sister. Can you do that for me?" She nodded and started to shake them.

Jack sprinted back to the door. He stepped outside. The band of people was ahead of him but the marines covering the end were the ones he wanted to speak with anyway. He took a breath, stepped to the middle of the street and made himself visible. Almost immediately, one of the last marines saw him and called out to his teammates. After a quick discussion and promises made to keep the children safe, Jack retrieved Zell and her siblings.

It didn't take long for them to integrate with the other refugees. Not much was asked about Jack, despite his strange choice of protection (his staff) and lack of shoes. The children, all seven of them now, quickly made quiet friendships. Zell and her siblings didn't tell them about how special Jack was. He hadn't asked them to keep his powers a secret, in fact he hadn't even thought of it before making himself known to the marines, but somehow they knew. He was still under cover, in a way; visible, but unknown. The seriousness of their situation had been taxing him. He wasn't used to this. Now, in the company of so many people and all of which could see and interact with him… was it wrong that he enjoyed it? There was no wonder in their eyes or confusion about his existence as a fairytale. To them, he was as human as they were.

The woman who took care of the children was glad to have his help managing them. He was good with kids. She also took pity on him and provided him with shoes and warmer clothes, where she had found such things she didn't say. Jack's attention was usually on the children, making sure they remained calm and that fear didn't choke them. He smiled brightly and encouraged them to be brave.

One of the larger men watched Jack. He wasn't a Marine, but he carried an assault rifle. Somehow it didn't seem out of place. Perhaps he was a veteran, or a member of the coast guard that had been off duty during the attack. They had traveled long and far to the city's edge. Open road would be waiting for them tomorrow, should the enemy not have claimed it first. It was dead quiet. There was only the sound of a small fire and the wind blowing in the trees. The man watched Jack tuck the children in that night. The whole day he had been nearby as one of the middle guards, but Jack had never taken real note of him until he spoke,

"You have a gift with children, young man," he said in deep voice. His words came out in a peculiar accent that Jack couldn't quite place, which was saying something since he'd been all around the globe. "We will need skills like yours in times like these, to keep the fear at bay in hearts that are not used to it."

Jack gave him a nod, "I'm happy to do it."

"Happy? Don't lie, I see right through you," the man said, having no idea the irony of his statement. "You do it because you find purpose in it, and purpose has nothing to do with happiness." Jack felt a tingle roll up his spine. The more he listened to this man, the more he felt he knew him. Where had he seen him before? Where had he heard his voice before? The man was tall and his shoulders and arms knew great strength … but his eyes. It was the man's eyes that told Jack a story. There was a lot of pain in them. "Interesting choice," he noted, "for a weapon."

"I am the good Shepherd, and these are my flock," Jack joked. "Alright, so I like hanging out with kids," Jack admitted, swinging his staff on his shoulder as he approached the man. "They know how to have fun, not care about what people think, not afraid to say what's on their mind or ask questions." Jack nodded to the man's Rifle. "You protect people too?"

"On the contrary, I used to revel in destruction and causing fear," the man said. Jack was taken aback by it. "Does that shock you? Then know that it was my purpose, once upon a time, but no more." The man adjusted the strap of his weapon. "The one who gave me that purpose died, so all that I had been given lost its point. Here I was," he said, looking about at the outskirts of the city, "healing when the first rocket met its target. I am here," he said, nodding to the marines and refugees, "because they needed a man to guard the middle. The question isn't if I protect people. The question is how long can I keep them alive? I find no purpose here, only a temporary employment."

Jack wasn't sure what to say to that. The man seemed disinterested in continuing their brief conversation anyway. Jack left the man rejoined the sleeping children. Looking back, Jack finally recognized him. He had seen this man and heard him before, on a winter's game years before. He was Bane, the man who held an entire city hostage for nearly a year. He had been reported dead on the news. Jack Frost found there was no panic in his heart, although there should have been. In all right minds, this man was wanted and feared for his goliath accomplishment in terrorism… and yet… Jack was not afraid of _this_ Bane.

This was the Bane that had been defeated. His mask was removed, almost a symbol of being dethroned from the life before. It was without this mask that is own, true face became his disguise. Bane looked back at the guardian. A moment their eyes met, an understanding came between them. Jack knew who this man was, but would keep his secret. This Bane wasn't a threat to them, to the children. He was, in a way, undercover just like Jack was. Jack wondered if Bane knew the truth about him too. There was no way to tell. The only thing Jack saw in Bane's eyes was pain.

* * *

I love me some reviews. Just sayin'. :D

I had to take a lot of liberties with this chapter. The dream seemed to jump around a bit, perspective wise. So I mashed it together to create a cohesive scene, especially the dialogue between Jack and Bane. This Bane is one that lives after the events of the movie. Somehow he escapes and is incognito in the city. There's a wonderful parallel between him and Jack. They are total opposites, but are stuck in a very similar situation. Tell me what you think!

-In Amber Clad


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